Ephemeris of the Mind (Game Review) A Plague Tale: Requiem
Time to read: 2 min read
Game Cover
Yes, because this world hurts, and it keeps hurting.
Previous A Plague Tale review:
Platform played on: Xbox Series X
Review
Amicia de Rune (Charlotte McBurney) and her brother Hugo (Logan Hannan) return in this dark sequel. The plague is still ravaging France and Hugo is still ill. Amicia and Hugo, along with their mother Beatrice (Lucy Briggs-Owen) and their friend Lucas (Kit Connor) try to seek help for Hugo’s illness with an organization of alchemists named the Order.
The actual gameplay can be described as a revamped version of the first game. Graphically, this game looks incredible and I really like the contrast between the dark and gritty action and the peaceful lulls which break up the pacing of the story. The story also follows the same themes as the first game, namely Amicia protecting Hugo from people who wish him harm. Unlike the first game, where the story shows Amicia as a caring sister trying to save her family, the sequel portrays Amicia as a ruthless girl willing to sacrifice anyone and everyone to keep her brother safe. While in Innocence Amilia shows episodes of stress and passion, I found her constant overly-dramatic act in Requiem to be tiring and a tad obnoxious. Character development (or lack thereof) aside, the story is predictable but actually very interesting. I like how they dig into the historical lore of the Macula and introduce some of my favourite characters from the franchise. I did find the story forcing the protector and protectee narrative a bit too much, though.
Gorgeous graphics
The gameplay is still stealth focused but there is more leeway for other play styles, such as being more combat focused. Despite this, I believe the best way to enjoy the game is still going the stealth route because the combat mechanics aren’t as polished as the stealth. For instance, the combat can be very sluggish and the AI soldiers also march over very mechanistically in open combat.
Stealth gameplay
Conclusion
The story is nowhere as good as the first game, but the gameplay is still solid.